Early in the morning, a sunrise rose from the fields, shedding a golden light into the green gaps. The lower river village had only just woken up from the morning mist, and Zhu Pingan’s house was already bustling with activity.
Today is the time for Zhu Ping’an’s family to hold a running water banquet, grandparents and third and fourth uncles all came over to help out, great-uncle’s mother and Zhu Pingjun also came, except that the great-uncle, who just came home the day before yesterday, didn’t come over, and listened to his grandfather say that he was studying at home. The eldest uncle did not come, mother Chen was relieved, do not come only good, come also upset.
In the countryside to set up a running water feast can not be so simple, although the townspeople are at noon to the seat, but need to be prepared a day in advance, ingredients, ah, site ah, tables, chairs, benches, bowls, spoons, chopsticks and so on need to be prepared a day in advance. Yesterday, my father returned from the town, bought back a lot of vegetables and fruits, and in the afternoon, he also let the village butcher will be a big fat pig raised by the family to deal with a good, sold to the butcher a small half fan of pork, the rest of the pork reserved for tomorrow to set up a flowing feast with, and even out some meat to the neighbouring neighbours as well as the grandfather’s family to send some.
In addition, the older brother Zhu Pingchuan from the mountain picked a lot of fungus, mushrooms and other fungi, also caught a lot of big fat fish, enough to set a table, there are also eight hare, but also enough to add a meat dish for each table.
Early this morning, grandfather will be packed and dressed up to lead the old house people over to help, picking vegetables, washing dishes, etc., busy a big morning. Although mother Chen did not say anything, but look at grandparents eyes are much warmer.
Around nine o’clock, the women who knew her well brought gifts from home, and after exchanging pleasantries, the women chatted while picking and washing vegetables, which made for a happy atmosphere.
Zhu Pingan went to Shanghe Village early in the morning, but his teacher still had not returned. When he returned home, the home has been very lively, the village specialised in busy office of the mountain village chef has taken the apprentice in place, weaving pots, preliminary processing of ingredients, busy and not happy.
Almost to noon. Villagers one after another have come to Zhu family sitting, half of the village is empty. Sitting is the words of the village people, “Feast, seat also”. Feast and seat, two names for one thing. Because of the large number of people, the running water banquet was set up in the open space outside the door, and the crowd was boisterous.
“Aiya, your family’s second youngest child is a contender.”
“Your old Zhu family’s ancestors’ graves are smoking.”
“He’s only thirteen years old and he’s already taken the Xiu Cai exam. It’s really impressive, in a few years you’ll be able to get a scholar.”
……
Whenever the Zhu family passed by, the village people would always let out a sentence or two of either envy or jealousy.
As a result, mother Chen became the happiest person of the day, with a feeling of raising her eyebrows, she was red-faced and glowing all day.
Don’t laugh at the muddy wine in the farmhouse, and keep guests with enough chickens and dolphins in the year of abundance.
Zhu family today’s running water feast dishes, especially meat dishes are also particularly large, fish, pork. Rabbit meat, mutton to the table in a different pattern, only to the village for a long time also do not want to open the meat of the village people to eat full of oil, the village people on this running water feast is also praised, which makes the mother Chen is more glowing.
Grandfather also felt doubly face, this flowing feast, he sat with Rizheng and the village old man, not only that, Rizheng and the village old man on the Zhu old man is also a lot of bragging about, this acidic, directly to the grandfather almost all drunk.
A flowing banquet. It was eaten until three or four o’clock in the afternoon before it was dispersed, and everyone was happy.
Zhu Pingan and his grandfather and father stood outside the door, one by one to send off the village people. His mother, Chen, greeted the neighbours at home and distributed the dishes that hadn’t been eaten yet, as well as the lettuce ingredients, one by one. She divided the dishes and lettuce ingredients one by one and asked the neighbours to take them away in bowls.
It was not until the sun was thinning that Zhu Pingan’s family restored the courtyard to the way it was when there was no running water banquet.
In the evening, Zhu Pingan took out the book he borrowed from the Li family last time and neatly copied down the last part of the work that he had not finished.
The next day, after breakfast, Zhu Pingan walked towards Shanghe Village with his book bag slung over his shoulder. He was ready to return the book to the Li family and then borrow two more books back.
This time, when he just knocked on the door, the concierge, Uncle Li, opened the door, presumably because Big Wealthy Master Li came back, the concierge, Uncle Li, started to do his duty again.
“Little Master Zhu has come to borrow books again, come in, come in.”
Zhu Pingan listened to the concierge Uncle Li’s unorthodox address and could only smile bitterly and arch his hand to enter the door.
The study was different from previous days,When Zhu Pingan entered the study, there were already many people in the study, not the belly girl and them, but more than ten shrewd looking bookkeepers. They were sitting at three tables, each table was four or five people, there were those who were planning the abacus, those who were reading the ledger, and those who were making records, each in their own way, and the entire study was filled with the sound of dialling the abacus.
Li Dazhong fidgeted on one side, now and then going to a table to look at it for a while.
Zhu Pingan walked in, didn’t even have the heart to disturb them, bowed his hand and saluted Great Fortune Master Li from afar, took out the book from his school bag, signalling that he had come to return the book.
Big Cai Zhu, who was in a hurry, just waved his hand casually, signalling Zhu Ping An to make himself at home.
Thus, Zhu Pingan gently bypassed the accountants who dialled the abacus to check the accounts, went to the rows of bookshelves, and put the books back to their original places. Then, he stood in front of the bookshelves, looking for the books he borrowed this time.
The Four Books and the Five Classics were all torn up fast, and this time he was going to borrow a miscellaneous book to have a look.
Zhu Pingan flicked through the bookshelves aimlessly, stopping to look at the books he was slightly interested in for a while before looking at the next one.
Outside the crackling dialing abacus sound remains, almost did not stop, responsible for checking the accounts of the accountant bitter, has been continuously checking the accounts of three days, in addition to the night to sleep a little bit, basically did not have much rest, but still did not find any problem with the books, Li Dazhong rush and urgent, so that these accounts are even more tired.
Just when Zhu Pingan was flipping through the books, the dark girl led the bun maid, followed by two old mums into the study.
“Father, did you find out?”
The ventriloquist maid asked as soon as she entered.
“Shu’er, why are you here, the study is too hot, how nice to stay in your room. Father had someone send two more pots of ice to your room.” Seeing his precious lump enter the study, Da Caiwei Li couldn’t even care less about the account books.
“Father, I’m not hot, did the account book find out the problem?” Li Shu twisted her body twice and pouted as she asked.
“Cough cough cough, soon soon.” Li Dazhou coaxed.
“Again soon soon soon, yesterday you said so, and now it hasn’t been found out yet …… today again ……” Li Shu’s pouting mouth was able to bolt an oil bottle.
“You check out the accounts but fast ah, when collecting money is not slow na.”
Looked at his own baby bump angry, Li Dazhou master also some anxious, turned his head to urge behind the three tables of accountants!
